Split Bearer Dual/Multiple Connectivity Retransmission Diversity

A method comprising:

• choosing to redundantly retransmit from multiple nodes in a radio bearer that is split between a master network node and a secondary network node for wirelessly sending packets to a user equipment, UE;
• determining relative network conditions between the master network node and the secondary network node;
• based on the relative network conditions, selecting a redundancy retransmission mode from among multiple redundancy retransmission modes, each redundancy retransmission mode defining a different protocol for retransmitting multiple copies of selected ones of the packets to the UE over the split radio bearer;
• and
• wirelessly retransmitting to the UE the multiple copies of the selected packets over the split radio bearer according to the selected redundancy retransmission mode.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a master network node to perform actions comprising:

• choosing to redundantly retransmit from multiple nodes in a radio bearer that is split between the master network node and a secondary network node for wirelessly sending packets to a user equipment, UE;
• determining relative network conditions between the master network node and the secondary network node;
• based on the relative network conditions, selecting a redundancy retransmission mode from among multiple redundancy retransmission modes, each redundancy retransmission mode defining a different protocol for retransmitting multiple copies of selected ones of the packets to the UE over the split radio bearer;
• and
• wirelessly retransmitting to the UE the multiple copies of the selected packets over the split radio bearer according to the selected redundancy retransmission mode.

An apparatus for communicating with a secondary network node and with a user equipment, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one memory storing computer program instructions;
• and
• at least one processor;
• wherein the at least one memory with the computer program instructions is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to at least:
• choose to redundantly retransmit from multiple nodes in a radio bearer that is split between a master network node and a secondary network node for wirelessly sending packets to a user equipment, UE;
• determine relative network conditions between the master network node and the secondary network node;
• based on the relative network conditions, select a redundancy retransmission mode from among multiple redundancy retransmission modes, each redundancy retransmission mode defining a different protocol for retransmitting multiple copies of selected ones of the packets to the UE over the split radio bearer;
• and
• wirelessly retransmit to the UE the multiple copies of the selected packets over the split radio bearer according to the selected redundancy retransmission mode.